In Box Review of Testors-Italeri 1/35th Scale
Frogman Seal Team
Kit no. 849
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1983
Out of production
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1983
Out of production
HISTORY:
A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, combatant diver, or combat swimmer.
The word frogman first arose in the stage name The Fearless Frogman of Paul Boyton in the 1870s and later was claimed by John Spence, an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy and member of the OSS Maritime Unit, to have been applied to him while he was training in a green waterproof suit.
The term frogman is occasionally used to refer to a civilian scuba diver. Some sport diving clubs include the word Frogmen in their names. The preferred term by scuba users is diver, but the frogman epithet persists in informal usage by non-divers, especially in the media and often referring to professional scuba divers, such as in a police diving role.
In the U.S. military and intelligence community, divers trained in scuba or CCUBA who deploy for tactical assault missions are called "combat divers". This term is used to commonly refer to Navy UDTs, Navy SEALs, Navy SARC, and the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units. Navy SWCC have frogmen heritage of combat swimming rather than diving, one of the few and most elite units trained in this element.
Other Frogmen units include Marine Raiders Marine Recon, elements of US Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets) Combat Divers, Army Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Combat Controllers, and Air Force Special Reconnaissance, as well as operatives of the CIA's Special Activities Center.
A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, combatant diver, or combat swimmer.
The word frogman first arose in the stage name The Fearless Frogman of Paul Boyton in the 1870s and later was claimed by John Spence, an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy and member of the OSS Maritime Unit, to have been applied to him while he was training in a green waterproof suit.
The term frogman is occasionally used to refer to a civilian scuba diver. Some sport diving clubs include the word Frogmen in their names. The preferred term by scuba users is diver, but the frogman epithet persists in informal usage by non-divers, especially in the media and often referring to professional scuba divers, such as in a police diving role.
In the U.S. military and intelligence community, divers trained in scuba or CCUBA who deploy for tactical assault missions are called "combat divers". This term is used to commonly refer to Navy UDTs, Navy SEALs, Navy SARC, and the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units. Navy SWCC have frogmen heritage of combat swimming rather than diving, one of the few and most elite units trained in this element.
Other Frogmen units include Marine Raiders Marine Recon, elements of US Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets) Combat Divers, Army Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Combat Controllers, and Air Force Special Reconnaissance, as well as operatives of the CIA's Special Activities Center.
THE KIT:
Testors and Italeri are both old prolific plastic model kit manufacturers. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales. Testors is located in the U.S. in Rockford, Illinois and Italeri is based in Italy. The two firms are joined.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts of the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a color photo of the model made up and on a modeler’s workbench.
It shows 3 frogmen in a rubber raft. The raft is grey with lengths of wood atop each side with rope loops attached to them.
The three frogmen wear black rubber diving suits that have head covers. All have face-masks on their heads and rubber fins on their feet. Two men have two bright-yellow oxygen tanks on their backs attached to hoses and mouth pieces.
The third man is not wearing oxygen tanks. He is seated and manning the engine.
The bottom of the box gives the model features as: Testors 1/35 scale Frogman kit consists of 47 injection molded plastic parts. Three figures, a rubber boat and display stand will allow you to build an authentic, seafaring diorama. Special features include scuba gear with tanks, hoses, wet suits, face masks and swim fins. Also included is a storage locker , an outboard motor and a pair of oars. Instructions provide useful tips on the art of figure painting.
This is followed by 4 color walk-around type photos of the model made up.
Testors and Italeri are both old prolific plastic model kit manufacturers. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales. Testors is located in the U.S. in Rockford, Illinois and Italeri is based in Italy. The two firms are joined.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts of the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a color photo of the model made up and on a modeler’s workbench.
It shows 3 frogmen in a rubber raft. The raft is grey with lengths of wood atop each side with rope loops attached to them.
The three frogmen wear black rubber diving suits that have head covers. All have face-masks on their heads and rubber fins on their feet. Two men have two bright-yellow oxygen tanks on their backs attached to hoses and mouth pieces.
The third man is not wearing oxygen tanks. He is seated and manning the engine.
The bottom of the box gives the model features as: Testors 1/35 scale Frogman kit consists of 47 injection molded plastic parts. Three figures, a rubber boat and display stand will allow you to build an authentic, seafaring diorama. Special features include scuba gear with tanks, hoses, wet suits, face masks and swim fins. Also included is a storage locker , an outboard motor and a pair of oars. Instructions provide useful tips on the art of figure painting.
This is followed by 4 color walk-around type photos of the model made up.
One side panel of the box gives a one-paragraph history of the Frogmen.
The other side-panel of the box lists materials required to build the kit: Glue, paints, tools and brushes. By Testors and Model Master brands.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 4 very dark-grey parts trees in a single sealed clear cello bag and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, printed on both sides and folded once to fit the box. It is in 8 ¼” x 11” format.
The face side gives ASSEMBLY TIPS and FIGURE PAINTING instructions.
The reverse side gives assembly instructions for the boat and the figures and painting instructions for both.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. Bad move Testors-Italeri. They do have part number tabs next to the parts though.
Extra work will be needed to get the right parts for each assembly.
The 1st very dark-grey tree holds: two of the figures and a base plate to set the raft on for display. The figures are divided into separate heads, torso halves, arms and legs. Also two loops of breathing hose. (16 parts)
This kit holds 4 very dark-grey parts trees in a single sealed clear cello bag and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, printed on both sides and folded once to fit the box. It is in 8 ¼” x 11” format.
The face side gives ASSEMBLY TIPS and FIGURE PAINTING instructions.
The reverse side gives assembly instructions for the boat and the figures and painting instructions for both.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. Bad move Testors-Italeri. They do have part number tabs next to the parts though.
Extra work will be needed to get the right parts for each assembly.
The 1st very dark-grey tree holds: two of the figures and a base plate to set the raft on for display. The figures are divided into separate heads, torso halves, arms and legs. Also two loops of breathing hose. (16 parts)
The 2nd very dark-grey tree holds: the parts of the third figure. He is divided the same as the other 2 Frogmen. The oxygen tanks , display base supports, raft bottom and a large loop of breathing hose are on this tree (15 parts)
The 3rd very dark-grey tree holds: the rafts' floor, bottom, propeller, battery box bottom, motor control handles, raft’s rubber top half. (6 parts)
The 4th (and last) very dark-grey tree holds: the raft’s rubber bottom half, the motor, engine-support wall, a set of oars and the batter top (8 parts)
This is a very nicely detailed model. It will make into an interesting diorama if mounted on a water base.
Recommended.